# PROJECT: Cigar Band Poker Table (warning: many pictures)



## Mark THS (Feb 5, 2007)

Hey guys,

Well, we're back at it again. My brother and I decided to take on yet another cigar-related project. (For those who havent seen the other projects, they are here and here)

Several months back, Tech-Ninja used a cool technique to inlay cigar bands into a clearglaze epoxy. The technique worked out so well on the cigar band coffee table that I did a few months ago that I decided to try my hand at a poker table for the cigar room.

We found a site with rudimentary plans for an octagon poker table and set out to start the project. Much of the plans had to be improvised on the fly to compensate for the cigar band epoxy rail.

Without further adu, here is the journey we've taken over the past couple of months...

The table is constructed out of Oak plywood, so the first step was to cut an array of different octagon shapes within each other, which took a bit of measuring..

Once we had gotten the measurements squared away, we spent an evening cutting out the various octagons..

With the shapes cut, it was time to upholster the playing surface and the rail. To cover the playing surface, we wrapped the center ply w/ a dense foam

Then we covered it in a special felt called "speed felt" or "fast felt" which is used on professional poker tables

continued in next post...


----------



## Mark THS (Feb 5, 2007)

We spent a ton of time putting in staples to make the surface secure



Here is the completed playing surface (notice the cool pattern)



Then we turned our attention to creating the "rail" or the padded surface to rest your elbows. We joined two outter rings together and wrapped them in a heavy foam for comfort



Then we painstakingly wrapped the rail in vinyl. This took a lot of time but it was worth it because it is a very visible element of the table


----------



## Mark THS (Feb 5, 2007)

Note the amount of staples- and this was only half way!



Late at night, we labored away trying to force, prod, and coax the vinyl. Glad we wont have to do this again



With the rail completed, we focused out attention on the cigar band "race track" part of the table. Because we were pouring a very heavy epoxy, it was essential that we make tight forms to hold it in. We used drywall tape wrapped in packing table to make the forms. (note: I stained the table, but did not take pictures)


----------



## Mark THS (Feb 5, 2007)

With the forms in place, we put down some bands and poured the first layer of epoxy



And some more bands..



More epoxy, more bands




A closeup of layer #2, note the floating effect of multiple layers




When all was said and done, we had laid down 5 layers of epoxy. The depth is difficult to see in photos, but after we removed the forms, you can see the depth in the cupholder voids


----------



## Mark THS (Feb 5, 2007)

Here is a shot with all of the forms removed



With the racetrack done- all we had to do was begin assembly! We spent a lot of time creating brackets and spacers to make sure the fit was good. We wrapped a decorative rope around the playing surface, put on folding legs and put in the cupholders. Viola!



Some closeups of the bands:







And another view of the completed table:


----------



## Mark THS (Feb 5, 2007)

I will snap a few shots of the table in the morning when I can get a bit of natural light. We finished the table tonight and were excited to show Club Stogie, so you'll have to bear w/ the dark shots :tu We had a blast doing this one.

Now we just need to work on finding a way to get it from my place to Ryans cigar room:cb


----------



## AuburnFan1980 (Jul 15, 2006)

HOLY. SHIT. This is absolutely amazing!!!! I wish I could bump your RG to like 2,000 with this post. Seriously....words can't describe, man...I'm in awe. Kudos to you!

Jason


----------



## jaycarla (Jun 10, 2007)

Another home run!

To quote the Bud Light commercial, DUDE!


----------



## Mark THS (Feb 5, 2007)

And a special thanks to all of the gorillas who have contributed bands in the past few months- at herfs and through the mail.

The Detroit gorillas have been awesome about collecting bands for me over the past year. And several gorillas have sent packages of bands. We couldnt have done it w/out you guys


----------



## MNSmoker (Jan 28, 2008)

Wow, that is absolutely amazing. This is the coolest poker table I have ever seen. Where did you buy your felt? I really like the pattern :tu


----------



## Mark THS (Feb 5, 2007)

MNSmoker said:


> Wow, that is absolutely amazing. This is the coolest poker table I have ever seen. Where did you buy your felt? I really like the pattern :tu


We ordered it from

http://www.yourautotrim.com/hocasuclb.html


----------



## Ozone89 (Dec 29, 2006)

While putting the cigar bands down..how are you able to stop them from curling back up on you? Are you gluing them down, before you pour the epoxy? 

Nice job as always! I always look forward to reading your posts.


----------



## Mark THS (Feb 5, 2007)

Ozone89 said:


> While putting the cigar bands down..how are you able to stop them from curling back up on you? Are you gluing them down, before you pour the epoxy?
> 
> Nice job as always! I always look forward to reading your posts.


Yeah, I sprayed them w/ spray glue (elmers). A healthy coating of spray glue is enough to keep them stuck to each base layer. It helped to flatten them out a bit before applying, though.


----------



## pistolero (Jan 20, 2008)

That so rocks. :tu


----------



## SmokeyJoe (Oct 3, 2006)

Mark... I am CERTAIN you guys could make a living by designing and fabricating upscale specialty cigar furnishings. You guys are simply INCREDIBLE! :tu

Congratulations on a job well done. :ss


----------



## sikk50 (Feb 14, 2008)

Jesus! That thing is awesome!


----------



## Kidrock387 (Nov 26, 2006)

Thats Amazing Awesome Job Mark And Ryan


----------



## Beachjeep90 (Jan 30, 2008)

SWEEEEEEEET!!!:tu


----------



## dunng (Jul 14, 2006)

That looks amazing, great job! :ss


----------



## dwhitacre (Jan 2, 2008)

Great Job!!! Amazing!!! Awesome!!!:tu

Alright let's start a group buy - how many of those can you pump out this week?:r

Seriously, you did a wonderful job!!!


----------



## Jbailey (Nov 9, 2006)

Great Job, that looks amazing!:tu I've been keeping bands for a similar project. I I really would like to build a card table too at some point. Thanks again for the cool pictures.


----------



## ForestPuma (Jun 28, 2007)

Very cool. I love seeing this stuff. I made a steelers 6 man table last year. I might have to make a full size table with a cigar theme now.


----------



## jaycarla (Jun 10, 2007)

First the smoking room, then the coffee table, now this! I may be developing a man-crush!


----------



## ForestPuma (Jun 28, 2007)

I used the folding style legs for a while but switched to the restaurant style base. It looks much better and easier when there are six guys around the table. They are only about 15 bucks at pretty much any restaurant supply store. Just a suggestion. The only downside is you can't fold it up and put it away. Here is a pic:


----------



## DragonMan (Dec 29, 2006)

Truly awesome work!! 

So Mark can I invite myself for a poker game?


----------



## Puro_Angler (Mar 23, 2006)

Outstanding work!


----------



## rwhit37 (Mar 3, 2008)

Pure amazement! You guys did excellent work!

Want to build another one?


----------



## snkbyt (Jun 22, 2006)

DragonMan said:


> Truly awesome work!!


glad the bands will live forever..........................really nice job


----------



## ryan35um (Jun 8, 2007)

I wanted to give a huge thanks to the guys that donated cigar bands to Mark and I for the project. We used between 400 and 500 bands for the table and it wouldn't have been possible to have that many and that much diversity in bands without your help!!


----------



## Bax (Sep 12, 2007)

Great work! Needs to be broken in now, when's the hold'em tourny?


----------



## drunkensailor (Dec 5, 2007)

Beautiful job guys. I'm jealous!


----------



## mikeyj23 (Feb 25, 2007)

Wow - looks freaking amazing. That must be sweet to look at and know you made it!


----------



## J.Bachrach (Dec 14, 2007)

Amazing work! The fabric looks great and the bands are an excellent idea!


----------



## dayplanner (Dec 11, 1997)

Looks great! Very impressive work.


----------



## shilala (Feb 1, 2008)

That table is remarkably gorgeous.
Fantastic job, I can hardly believe my eyes. :tu


----------



## slimm (Feb 24, 2008)

This is the same idea I had. My buddy and I made cocktail tables covered with beer caps, and I started to think about cigar bands a few weeks ago... Great job.

Ryan


----------



## RHNewfie (Mar 21, 2007)

That is absolutely amazing Mark!


----------



## PitDog (Jun 1, 2006)

Beautiful! Awesome work Mark!


----------



## Poriggity (Dec 8, 2005)

This is a sweet table! I dig it!
Scott


----------



## chippewastud79 (Sep 18, 2007)

Very Nice :tu


----------



## redryno247 (Aug 29, 2007)

That right their my friend is The NUTZ...hands down!!! RG Bump all the way.:dr


----------



## jack7382 (Mar 11, 2008)

That is an awesome creative table! MAX KUDO'S to YOU!:tu


----------



## easyt (Mar 10, 2008)

Wow, that really is beautiful. Congrats!


----------



## n2advnture (Aug 9, 2004)

un-freaking-real...nice job bro!

~Mark

.


----------



## BamBam (Feb 24, 2008)

That is awesome.


----------



## Satch (Apr 17, 2007)

Beautiful craftsmanship! I see a spot on the show Modern Marvels in you future.


----------



## Mark THS (Feb 5, 2007)

A couple more closeups of bands


----------



## Mark THS (Feb 5, 2007)

And again, mega thanks to the guys who helped contribute cigar bands.

Snkbyt, onlyonerm, Sancho, and DragonMan made huge contributions.

And the Detroit crew has always looked out for me to make sure I left herfs w/ tons of bands. I still have many bands left and a few other projects on the horizon :ss


----------



## mdtaggart (Sep 22, 2006)

Damn! I keeping grunting and touching myself every time I look at that table.
Most excellent work!! Can you give us an estimate of how many man hours you put into that? You may have inspired me to do something like that, of course it would be but a shadow of what you have created.


----------



## Mark THS (Feb 5, 2007)

mdtaggart said:


> Damn! I keeping grunting and touching myself every time I look at that table.
> Most excellent work!! Can you give us an estimate of how many man hours you put into that? You may have inspired me to do something like that, of course it would be but a shadow of what you have created.


Nonsense- we dont have any special skills or anything. A monkey could do this stuff 

Probably 20-25 hours of actual labor put into this table- but a ton of cure time for the epoxy and carefully planning steps is important. Just take your time and try your best to be creative and innovative with the materials you use and the design you decide on.


----------



## mdtaggart (Sep 22, 2006)

Mark THS said:


> Nonsense- we dont have any special skills or anything. A monkey could do this stuff
> 
> Probably 20-25 hours of actual labor put into this table- but a ton of cure time for the epoxy and carefully planning steps is important. Just take your time and try your best to be creative and innovative with the materials you use and the design you decide on.


Ok, so I have special skills, at least thats what they told me on the short bus. :ss I am now in search of a monkey, so i can pull this off. 
In hind sight, would u have done anything different? Looks like 3/4 in. ply u used? You said oak i believe? Any reason a guy couldn't use a lighter thiner plywood? I would need to be able to move and store it. Thanks for shaing this with the Jungle.


----------



## Mark THS (Feb 5, 2007)

mdtaggart said:


> Ok, so I have special skills, at least thats what they told me on the short bus. :ss I am now in search of a monkey, so i can pull this off.
> In hind sight, would u have done anything different? Looks like 3/4 in. ply u used? You said oak i believe? Any reason a guy couldn't use a lighter thiner plywood? I would need to be able to move and store it. Thanks for shaing this with the Jungle.


:r touche.

I'm pretty happy w/ everything. Ryan can probably chime in if he can think of anything he would rather change. I think the only thing that I would change are taking a little more time on the primary cuts to make them more uniform. It didnt cause a problem in the table as you see it now, but we had to take a bit more time to try and line up things to make sure they were in their original positions when cuts werent perfectly uniform.

Yep, we used 3/4 inch oak ply. We thought about 1/2 inch, but ultimately, you're putting a lot of weight on it with the epoxy and we wanted to error on the side of caution to make sure we had enough stability and rigidity. Having done it, I think you could pull of 1/2 inch ply if you needed to.


----------



## hornitosmonster (Sep 5, 2006)

Wow!! Very Nice!! :ss


----------



## White97Jimmy (May 12, 2006)

I think I see some of the bands of the cigars I smoked! :r

Sweet job Mark & Ryan! I still need to get over to that smoke room one of these days!


----------



## ambientboy (Jun 10, 2007)

Now THAT'S a stellar project.


----------



## Mtmouse (Jun 11, 2007)

Mark THS said:


> And again, mega thanks to the guys who helped contribute cigar bands.
> 
> Snkbyt, onlyonerm, Sancho, and DragonMan made huge contributions.
> 
> And the Detroit crew has always looked out for me to make sure I left herfs w/ tons of bands. I still have many bands left and a few other projects on the horizon :ss


I was wondering what you were going to do with them.:tu


----------



## Mark THS (Feb 5, 2007)

Mtmouse said:


> I was wondering what you were going to do with them.:tu


Oh snap- I cant leave out the Southern Ontario boys. You guys hooked me up big as well


----------



## Mtmouse (Jun 11, 2007)

Mark THS said:


> Oh snap- I cant leave out the Southern Ontario boys. You guys hooked me up big as well


They look much better on your projects, then in my drawer.:r


----------



## Mark THS (Feb 5, 2007)

Mtmouse said:


> They look much better on your projects, then in my drawer.:r


Now would you be referring to the dirty underwear coffee table or the cigar band poker table?


----------



## brigey (Dec 17, 2006)

*Mark, that is just simply amazing. Great job! Ever considered going in business creating masterpieces similar to the ones you shared with the gorillas @ CS?:tu
*


----------



## Mark THS (Feb 5, 2007)

brigey said:


> *Mark, that is just simply amazing. Great job! Ever considered going in business creating masterpieces similar to the ones you shared with the gorillas @ CS?:tu
> *


Depends, do you think we can all smoke that many cigars? :ss


----------



## Old Sailor (Jul 27, 2006)

Mark that is awesome!!:tu:tu:tu


----------



## Sancho (Oct 13, 2006)

Mark and Ryan,
That looks amazing! I may have to rope you into helping me build a coffee table in the coming months...

I think I see a few bands I slid your way in there as well, very very cool :ss I know I did my part by smoking FAR to many cigars! Keep up the awesome work!

...But what am I going to do with all the bands in my wallet and the baggie in the garage


----------



## bobcat (Sep 17, 2007)

WOW!!

That is one fine poker table there boys! Inspiring for sure as well.


----------



## DETROITPHA357 (Jul 8, 2006)

Mark so when is the next mini herf at you place. Ill being chip this time.
Very nice table.


----------



## RUJohnny99 (Jan 20, 2008)

Wow...I'm sitting here looking at my wobbly computer table that I put together from pre-cut pieces and I'm simply astonished.

Good work!


----------



## chip (Jan 18, 2006)

DETROITPHA357 said:


> Mark so when is the next mini herf at you place. Ill being chip this time.
> Very nice table.


You know this is all fiction....the room does not exist, and there is no furniture.
:ss


----------



## Mark THS (Feb 5, 2007)

chip said:


> You know this is all fiction....the room does not exist, and there is no furniture.
> :ss


:BS Bah humbug. All of those vintage poo-sticks must be clouding your memory of all of our invites to come check it out :ss

Shoot one of us a PM when you get a free night and come check it out.


----------



## Mark THS (Feb 5, 2007)

Sancho said:


> Mark and Ryan,
> That looks amazing! I may have to rope you into helping me build a coffee table in the coming months...
> 
> I think I see a few bands I slid your way in there as well, very very cool :ss I know I did my part by smoking FAR to many cigars! Keep up the awesome work!
> ...


Chris- I think the vast majority of your bands made it onto the table. You flattened those suckers out pretty nicely and made it very easy for us


----------



## snkbyt (Jun 22, 2006)

Mark THS said:


> Chris- I think the vast majority of your bands made it onto the table. You flattened those suckers out pretty nicely and made it very easy for us


sorry mine weren't flat, but I was going for quanity......................:ss


----------



## Mark THS (Feb 5, 2007)

snkbyt said:


> sorry mine weren't flat, but I was going for quanity......................:ss


And that you did. That was a huge surprise getting that many bands. I see you like PSD4's :ss


----------



## Sancho (Oct 13, 2006)

Mark THS said:


> Chris- I think the vast majority of your bands made it onto the table. You flattened those suckers out pretty nicely and made it very easy for us


Must be my wallet storage method, never makes for a great quantity but they sure get flat with my center of mass crushing them all day. There are some high end bands in there I certainly haven't seen before :tu

PSD4....:dr


----------



## Mark THS (Feb 5, 2007)

Sancho said:


> Must be my wallet storage method, never makes for a great quantity but they sure get flat with my center of mass crushing them all day. There are some high end bands in there I certainly haven't seen before :tu
> 
> PSD4....:dr


Its imperative you come check it out in person sometime. There are quite a few bands that were part of puff-puff-passes :ss

The Davidoff on the right should look mighty familiar to Chip and the rest of us in the Det/Southern Ont crew


----------



## Thaplumbr (Dec 30, 2007)

damn thats awesome!!!!...........kinda makes one hungry for VEGAS......lol


----------



## athomas2 (May 13, 2007)

How much does epoxy cost? and how much did u go through?


----------



## koolbooy (Dec 16, 2007)

woooooooooooow , thats sick man. great job :bl


----------



## ryan35um (Jun 8, 2007)

athomas2 said:


> How much does epoxy cost? and how much did u go through?


We used 2 gallons of epoxy. That was the most expensive part of the table by far. It costs around $120 and that was with a pretty good bulk discount.


----------



## Mark THS (Feb 5, 2007)

1st day of the project: "2 gallons, christ, we'll never go through that much"

Last coat of epoxy: "Holy hell, good thing we got 2 gallons"

The stuff isnt cheap but its cool as heck and does an awesome job.


----------



## snkbyt (Jun 22, 2006)

once again, great looking table


----------



## runningonmt64 (Mar 25, 2006)

That is incredible, you need to start a business with that skill :tu


----------



## mdtaggart (Sep 22, 2006)

Looks like the 2 gallons of epoxy ended up about pretty thick. Can u tell us how thick it is?


----------



## ryan35um (Jun 8, 2007)

mdtaggart said:


> Looks like the 2 gallons of epoxy ended up about pretty thick. Can u tell us how thick it is?


5/8 inch


----------



## Jay Hemingway-cl (Oct 21, 2007)

looks cool! been saving all of my bands for a project later on in life..


----------



## jaymz (Oct 12, 2007)

Wow! You had me curious as to what you were building at the last herf, this is excellent!


----------



## smokinpoke (Apr 8, 2006)

redryno247 said:


> That right their my friend is The NUTZ...hands down!!! RG Bump all the way.:dr


:tpd: Amen


----------



## BigGreg (Feb 7, 2007)

wow.... im speechless its gorgeous enjoy it! So where can we place an order? LOL, Great work!


----------



## ShaulWolf (Feb 5, 2007)

That is absolutely gorgeous. Think you can write up a step by step instruction manual on how to make one of those?


----------



## Blowin' Smoke (Mar 21, 2008)

That is very nice! Good job!


----------



## awsmith4 (Jun 5, 2007)

Nice work, I'm very impressed:tu


----------



## Mark THS (Feb 5, 2007)

Forgot to post- but last week Ryan and I played a little heads up on the table to break it in. Works like a charm.

Hopefully we'll have the usual suspects over in the next week or two for a game.


----------



## Sanitariumite (Sep 14, 2007)

I'm hoping to do something similar to this to my laptop. Is there an epoxy I could use that would be thinner? I'm thinking of something less than 1/8", with only one layer of bands. Also, where did you get the epoxy? And as far as working with the epoxy goes, can it be sanded after it's fully cured without permenantly fogging? I like the slightly rounded edges/corners on the laptop now, so I'm wondering if there'd be any way to either mold a rounded edge on there (Thinking about quartering a coffee straw length-wise), or if I'd have to sand it down? Thanks,
Adam


----------



## ryan35um (Jun 8, 2007)

Sanitariumite said:


> I'm hoping to do something similar to this to my laptop. Is there an epoxy I could use that would be thinner? I'm thinking of something less than 1/8", with only one layer of bands. Also, where did you get the epoxy? And as far as working with the epoxy goes, can it be sanded after it's fully cured without permenantly fogging? I like the slightly rounded edges/corners on the laptop now, so I'm wondering if there'd be any way to either mold a rounded edge on there (Thinking about quartering a coffee straw length-wise), or if I'd have to sand it down? Thanks,
> Adam


You can put the epoxy coats down as thin as you would like. I picked up the epoxy at Ace Hardware. I'm sure most local hardware stores would have it or could at least special order it for you. In regards to sanding I would not recommend that. I think I recall doing that for the cup holders and was thankful that part was not visible.


----------



## parafumar (Aug 23, 2008)

well done, my friend - well done!


----------



## doubledown (Aug 13, 2008)

WOW...outstanding! Nice table :tu


----------



## elderboy02 (Jun 24, 2008)

That is awesome! :tu


----------



## miana_silvius (Jan 6, 2008)

This is so awesome!!!


----------



## sgtbreeden (Dec 9, 2008)

That table is beautiful! What would it take for you to send me the plans for it? I can build anything as long as I have plans for it. I am going to start my project humidor pretty soon but I think I will put it off to build one of these beauties. Also gives me an excuse to start puffing more :tu:ss


----------



## Scott W. (Jul 10, 2008)

This thing in unbelievable.


----------



## BlazinOrange (Nov 22, 2007)

I saw this awhile ago. Ever since I have been saving my bands and thinking about how I am going to make mine. 

That table looks amazing, great job!


----------



## sjmack (Sep 18, 2008)

That table is gorgeous, man. Thanks for an idea for summer vacation when my families new house should be done. I will finally have my own room for the first time, even if it is just for when I am home from college.


----------



## ryan35um (Jun 8, 2007)

The original web site Mark and I based the plans off of is http://www.newenglandpokerleague.net/pokerweb/octagon.htm. We modified our plans a bit of course but that site was a good reference for supplies and measurements.



sgtbreeden said:


> That table is beautiful! What would it take for you to send me the plans for it? I can build anything as long as I have plans for it. I am going to start my project humidor pretty soon but I think I will put it off to build one of these beauties. Also gives me an excuse to start puffing more :tu:ss


----------



## KnuckleDragger (Apr 18, 2008)

ryan35um;1860386I picked up the epoxy at Ace hardware.[/QUOTE said:


> would you guys mind letting us all know the brand or model number of the expoy you used? (or even posibly a link...) would you use the same epoxy again, or is there something else you've discovered since? Thanks guys!!!
> -KD


----------



## abgoosht (Oct 2, 2008)

Wow, this is amazing!:ss:ss:chk:chk


----------



## Jazzmunkee (Jul 3, 2008)

Wow man, this table is amazing. I've been saving bands for about a year now without knowing why. You've inspired me. :tu


----------



## ryan35um (Jun 8, 2007)

KnuckleDragger said:


> would you guys mind letting us all know the brand or model number of the expoy you used? (or even posibly a link...) would you use the same epoxy again, or is there something else you've discovered since? Thanks guys!!!
> -KD


I'll ask Mark, he might remember. I think we described what we were looking for to the guys at Ace Hardware and it was the only staff they carried. It worked great. The only trick to that stuff requires patience. You can only pour around 1/16th to 1/8 inch layers at a time, so there's quite a few layers needed to complete. Also, each layer you have to blow out any bubbles that start to form. I'd recommend the stuff again, I can't argue with the finished product it produced.


----------



## Shervin (May 29, 2008)

Magnificent work!


----------



## Baz (Feb 11, 2009)

Great table...I play alot in Orlando and would love to have a table such as that for home play...!


----------



## res ipsa loquitor (Feb 7, 2009)

Mark THS said:


> Here is a shot with all of the forms removed
> 
> With the racetrack done- all we had to do was begin assembly! We spent a lot of time creating brackets and spacers to make sure the fit was good. We wrapped a decorative rope around the playing surface, put on folding legs and put in the cupholders. Viola!
> 
> ...


Mark - awesome job. Please PM me with a price if you would consider making another for sale.


----------



## ryan35um (Jun 8, 2007)

All of the pictures from the post went inactive so we added them all to our new web site at How to Build a Custom Poker Table | RyanDeyer.com. Check it out and enjoy!


----------



## Johnny Rock (Jun 25, 2010)

Nice, a great man cave addition.


----------

